Wednesday, 20 May 2015

This just in from a reader:
I am recovering from a serious case of metaphorical post coital triste after reluctantly turning over the lastpage of your wonderful Once a Priest.It was one of those reads which you wish would never end.

A few comments by way of appreciation which cannot do justice to the integrity of the book as a whole and its'omniscient'and energetic narrator.

*I was struck by the explosive first page or two which must be a model for how to begin a work.You have parachutedinto the sixties Liverpool in the most intense and realistic fashion which no social historian could hope to accomplish;capturing the mantras as you propel the actors onto the stage.This is finely honed economic prose rattling itscage to become poetry.

*Having been a prisoner of the Brent asylum of the terminally mad at the same time as you were in Bolton,I wasparticularly struck by your descriptions of the admin apparats in the grip of a plague of wrongheadedness.I was touched by your encounters in the classroom;the pupils;always powerless victims of the top down poisonadministered by our heavily politicised educational state educational apparatus.Your survival stratagems wouldmake an excellent survival guide for any youngster brave enough to enter the educational fray.

*Sauced with Chaucerian wit throughout

*marvellous insight into the inner workings of the C of E, which despite Trollope, has always for me, been veiled inmystery.

*Counterpoint.You achieve some well judged a**e kicking in your relentless pursuit of humbug.Yet there are sensitiveepisodes of real poignancy.The death of Louie which you were privileged to attend.."I watched her dying......It was likewatching someone being born.She made a good job of it,such fun of it.That was one of her expressions"The nurse."Thatwoman"she said."That woman-she was an angel!"

*Remarkable capturing of local language idiosyncrasies...."It weren't bad......it were alreet..."the leaden vice of Leeds.Ithink it was Lord Salisbury said "Always believe in stereotypes"And the memorable "affat"...And after 'Romeo and Juliet'"Will we affat write about it tomorrow.....?.....not forgetting "allus"The Dickensian Broadstairs "Have a look at....."the girl guides etc

*Such a variety of characters as if you were in receipt of an EU rights injunction to include them all!The maverick James....I am looking forward to hearing more about him and the Uriah Heap senior curate, destroying the bogs with his bike.Characters galore, like a Dutch painting ,and like Shakespeare,minor characters all have their importance.

And the land and townscapes so economically and memorably delineated...

*Then the style;varied but always moving musically as the book progresses;fusing naturally into poetry at the mostappropriate times

*This book is no trivial self indulgence.It takes on the big subjects.Most of all God,worship,prayer,salvation.And the forcesthat militate against the latter.Imposters in the Church.The real danger of the abuse of power in the charismatic movementThe age old evils of those who seek preferment by aligning themselves with secular government and the zeitgeist, neglecting their flocks.

*The unity of this marvelous book;the narrator;cheerfully, courageously,overcoming difficulties,armed with that life saver, a sense of irony.Once a priest and by the grace of God,always a priest!

Friday, 1 May 2015

In both world wars the British confidently expected Germany to mount an
invasion through East Anglia. During the Great War enormous numbers of
troops, who were desperately needed on the Western Front, were tied up
defending East Anglia against an invasion that never came. In spite of
this, in World War II, once again it was East Anglia where the
confidently predicted German invasion would take place.
In both Wars East Anglia was a hive of activity with soldiers,
sailors and airmen frantically preparing for an invasion that never
came, and latterly striking back at Hitler’s Reich through RAF Bomber
Command.
This book looks at East Anglia in those desperate, bloody years. It
shows how the people of the area coped and survived, or sometimes made
the ultimate sacrifice. The book also looks at the relics of those years
- gun emplacements, airfields and other structure built while East
Anglia was at War.

Contents
Foreword
Chapter One – The Scene is Set
Chapter Two – Encore Une Fois
Chapter Three – The Agricultural Revolution
Chapter Four– The Beginning
Chapter Five – When will they arrive?
Chapter Six –The German invasion plan
Chapter Seven – Local Organisation
Chapter Eight - The Home Guard
Chapter Nine – Military Readiness
Chapter Ten - The RAF before the Battle
Chapter Eleven – The Battle of Britain Begins
Chapter Twelve – The fight to the Death, Douglas Bader and the Big Wing
Chapter Thirteen – Some Iconic Airfields of East Anglia
Chapter Fourteen – The American Intervention – The early Days
Chapter Fifteen – US in Britain
Chapter Sixteen - Keeping the North Sea Open
Chapter Seventeen – Air Raids
Chapter Eighteen – And Finally

About the Author

Michael’s home is in East Anglia. After many years based near Cambridge, he now lives close to the North Norfolk Coast.

Always a prolific writer, during more than twenty years as a head
teacher he managed to combine his writing activities with running a
school. Educational writing continues to play a significant part in his
output, but he has also written widely on topics relating to 20th
century military history. This book combines his interest in military
history with his love of East Anglia.

This is Michael’s twelfth book and his third covering a World War II
topic. The other two: RAF Duxford and Douglas Bader were both published
as part of Bretwalda’s Heroes of the RAF series.